Mussels on Lake Michigan

[dlandersson]

Look what I found on my dock line

My slip line spent all last summer in Lake Michigan, look what I found

[Russ]

[svscott]

Gross. Zebra mussels are a real nuisance on Lake Erie too. I'm careful to keep all equipment that isn't painted with antifoul out of the water.
On the plus side, I believe Lake Erie's water is much cleaner as a direct result of the little critters constantly filtering the water.

[OverEasy]

Those pests are a two edged sword…. Filters the water but crowds out native species and fouls nearly anything in the water…..
Lake Erie has come a long way in my lifetime… I still remember it catching fire and people with hazmat suits …

I was reading that while zebra mussels do clarify the water they also consolidate minerals and compounds in thier shells which could be a problem as the shells eventually degenerate and release those materials back into the water becoming a “natural” pollution source. Another aspect is the increased incidents of aquatic botulism associated with zebra mussel infestation.

The shells also can cause cuts and lacerations which have increased potential for infection due to the bacteria associated with zebra mussels.

I believe there was someone thinking about “harvesting” the zebra mussels and placing them in impermeable lined and capped sites for permanently sequestering whatever toxins or hazardous minerals that become part of the shells. It would be interesting to see if someone knows what may have been done with that.

I do know that the little things get stuck tenaciously on just about anything in the water.